Family insertion point
It's not always obvious where the insertion point for a Family is when viewing it in a project.
To help with this, add a Symbolic...
Family section shapes
Structural columns and beams have many different sectional shapes. These shapes have sizes controlled by many different parameters (i.e. Height, Web, etc). This means...
Mapping SHX fonts
When you import or link to AutoCAD drawings that contain text, you can map the AutoCAD SHX fonts to TrueType fonts so they appear...
Multi-line text in parameter
When entering in data for Family parameters, despite only having a single line field you can still enter multiple lines of text.
By doing so...
Line / face based family
Line based Families are awesome.
Face based Families are awesome.
But have you ever combined the two in a single Family?
When-ever you need a swept object...
Exterior / interior elevations
It's common for most companies to graphically differentiate between exterior and interior elevations.
In these cases the exterior elevation markers will typically be a variation...
Textured conceptual topography using Google Maps imagery
This is a follow up to a previous post where a mapping service was used to gather images for application to a topography in conceptual...
Curtain wall constraints
Curtain Walls have great built-in properties to constrain their behaviour in various ways. Using the pattern based (Grid Layouts) properties, entire walls can be...
Truss structural joins
When Trusses are placed into the model, the default Structural Framing (Beam) elements don't automatically join with each other.
Steps
Select the Beam, and then...
Google Maps imagery with no labels for topography
Google Maps is a great source of geographical and cadastral information in image form, which can then be used on a topography in conceptual design...
Send masking region to background
When creating Families it is sometimes appropriate to use Masking Regions in order to help define how it should be represented in certain orientations...
Filled circles
Next time you're documenting or creating a Family and need a filled in circle, don't immediately reach for the Filled/Masking Region tool.
Instead, try drawing...